San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-10-14
A HARD BARGAIN.
BY WALTER BEsANT.

UNDERGONE; boiled beef with suet pudding
and fat always took a great deal Of
pudding and fat with my boiled beef;
roast veal and bacon with stufting-a dish
for the gods; calves head for two-I
could have eaten calves head for dozen;
with orders pointing TO things beyond my
hungry observation-disclosures limits the
boundaries of fancy-puddings, fish, soup,
cheese and such delicacies. Alas
wanted the solids. felt myself growing
feebler; | became more and more doubled
up; had thoughts of entering this para
disc of the hungry, and, after eating till ]
could eat no longer, calmly laying down
my knife and fork and informing the
waiter that had no money. There was
farce in which had once played where
the comic actor sent for the landlord,
after a hearty meal and asked him what
| he would do in case a stranger, after
ordering and eating his dinner, should de
clare his inability to pay. "Do, sirE'
cried the host; IL should kick him across
the street" Landlord" said the low
comedian, and it always told-"Land
| .ord," he used TO rise up slowly as he
| spoke, and sOlemnly draw aside his coat
tails, turning his face in the direction of
you" used to play the landlord.
1t struck $3.50; the dead gnawing Of
hunger was followed by a sharp pain,
irritating and much more unpleasant
The crowd of those who entered had been
| followed by the crowd of those who came
| out, and the heaven of hungry men was
nearly empty again. | gazed still upon
| the turkeys and the hares, but with a
lack luster eye, for / was nearly fainting.
Presently there came down the street
an elderly gentleman, bearing before him,
like lord mayor in French tale, his
enormous abdomen; he had white hair,
white eyebrows, white whiskers and a
purple face. He walked very slowly, as
If the exertion might prove apoplectic, and
leaned upon thick stick. AS he passed
the shop he looked in at the window and
wagged his head. At that moment
groaned involuntarily. He turned round
and surveyed me. l suppose presented
strange appearance, leaning against the
post, with STOPPING figure and tightly but
toned coat. He had big projecting eyes
flushed with red veins, which gave him
wolfish expression.
"YOung man." he said, not benignantly
at all, but severely, ''you look ILL., Have
you been drinking2"
shook my head.
81 am only hungry" said, telling the
truth, because / was too far gone to hide
it. 81 am only hungry; that is the mat
ter with me-"
He planted his stick ON the ground,
supporting both his hands upon the gold
head, and wagged his head again from
side to side with a grunting sound in his
throat like the saving of bones.
Gruntl Here's a pretty fellow for
you!" Grunt! Hungry, and he looks
miserable" Grunt! Hungry, and he
groans" Grunt! "Hungry-the most
enviable position man can be inland he
dares to repine at his lot" Gruntl
'What are the lower classes coming to
next, / wonder? Aren't you ashamed of
yourself? Aren't you a model of every
thing that's ungrateful and"-grunt!-
land flying in the face of Providence? He
lives in land of victuals. London is
gigantic caravan, full of the most splen-
did things the most glorious things to eat
aud drink; it only wants an appetite; and
he's got that, and he lamentsr'
''What is the use of an appetite if you
have no money to satisfy it with9''
Grunt! ''Is it small appetite, as rule,
or is it large Appetizer"
'LaTge, replied at is an awkward
thing for a poor beggar like me to have
such devil of a twist. was born with
it. Very awkward just now"
"COme with me, young man." he
grunted. go before me. Don't talk, be-
cause that may interfere with the further
growth of your appetite. Walk slowly,
and keep your mouth shut close"
He came behind me, walking with his
chuckle and grunt.
$50. What fine fellow it isr' Grunt!
''What room for the development of the
alderman's arch! What backbone for
the support of a stomach! What Shout
ders for dinner table, and what legs to
put under it! Heavensl what diner
might be made of this boy if he only had
money" Grunt! Youth and appetite
health and hunger-and all thrown away
upon a pauper! What thing, what
thing! This way, young man."
Turning down q court leading out of
Bucklersbury, he guided me to door, a
little black portal, at which he stopped;
then STOPPING to a keyhole of a smaller
size than was generally used in those days,
he seemed to me to blow into it with his
mouth; this was absurd, of course, but it
seemed so to me. The door opened He
led the way into a passage, which, when
the door shut behind us, as it did of its
own accord, was pitch dark. We went up
some stairs, and ON the first landing the
old gentleman, who was wheeling and
putting tremendously, opened another door
and led me into room. 1t was large
room, Respondent with the light of at
least forty wax candles. The center was
occupied by large dining table laid for
a single person. Outside it was broad
daylight, for it was not yet o'clock.
''Sit down, young man, sit down."
pulled my host. ooh dearl oh dear! Sit
down, do! l wish 1 was as hungry as
you"
l sat down in the nearest chair and
looked round the room. The first thing |
remarked was that | could not see the
door by which we had been admitted.
The room was octagonal, and on every
side stood some heavy piece of furniture;
a table with glass, a case of book shelves,
a sofa, but no door. My head began to
go round as l continued my observations.
There was no window either, nor was
there any fireplace. Then felt sudden
giddiness, and suppose l fell backward
on my chair. 1t was partly the faintness
of hunger, but partly it was the strange
room, and that old man glazing at me
with his great wOltish eyes
When l recovered l was lying on sofa,
and soft cCId fingers were bathing my
head and pressing a perfumed handker-
chief to my lips. l opened my eyes sud
denly and sat up completely recovered.
At the foot OF the sofa stood my enter
tainer.
Easy with him, Boule-de- neige; make
him rest for moment. Perhaps his hun